After a huge growth in Asia and America, Korean born eyewear brand Gentle Monster opened their first European store in the heart of London, marking the most important expansion for the brand with another powerful retail presence.
The concept of Gentle Monster’s London Argyll Street flagship store ‘Kungfu’, evolves from the story of a tribe of extra-terrestrial creatures captivated by the practice of Kungfu whilst on a trip to Earth.
The Argyll Street entrance attracts pedestrians with eye catching kinetic installations in the form of Kungfu practicing aliens, standing on dark gravel that leads one to a kinetically operated massive gong that goes off every 3 minutes. Crafted entirely by the brand’s in-house team, it represents the technically advance, but playful aesthetic of the brand. Behind these aliens is a digitally interpreted scene of a waterfall, a typical meditation and training spot for martial art trainees, through a media installation re-edited from a berlin-based artist Ryoichi Kurokawa’s ‘Oct Falls’(2011).
The ground floor is finished with different types of grave and granite wall finishing that subtly defines the conceptual area and the product-oriented section.
The lower ground with contrasting texture and color from the upper floor, is a Colosseum-like battle field where master trainees challenge themselves to a defending champion. Kinetically installed alien fighters are surrounded by cheering crowds as they constantly show off their trained moves.